A report called "Australian Social Trends, 2006", was released by the Bureau of Statistics. It reports that fathers in full-time jobs with children under 15 are working an average of 42 to 43 hours a week. One-third are working more than 50 hours a week, while 16 per cent put in 60 hours or more. Further 50% of fathers work overtime (paid or unpaid), IT was 46%in 1993.
Further reports indicate that the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has discussed witht the Federal Government the following:
- removal of the 38-hr working week
- ability to "cash-out" all annual leave in Australian Workplace Agreements.
- reduce annual leave
The Federal Government has previously criticied the former Labor Government (10 Yrs ago) for being too close to the Unions. If it is unreasonable for a Federal Government to be "in bed with the unions", it is also unreasonable for it to be "in bed with employers"!
At the same time that The Federal Government and Employer groups seek to lower wages, an organization like Macquarie Bank spent $143 million just on senior executive salaries last year. Those salaries grew faster that the rate of profit increases, and MUCH faster than inflation.
Australian politics can be a game of hypocracy.
The Analyst
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